Semiconductor device

• US 8,174,047 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Masahiko, Shishido, Hideaki, Fukuoka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): SANDVIK, BENJAMIN P
• Application Number:
  US12/495,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/173
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0255 using diodes as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1262 with a particular formation, treatment or coating of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1277 using a crystallisation promoting species, e.g. local introduction of Ni catalyst

Abstract

To improve the performance of a protection circuit including a diode formed using a semiconductor film. A protection circuit is inserted between two input/output terminals. The protection circuit includes a diode which is formed over an insulating surface and is formed using a semiconductor film. Contact holes for connecting an n-type impurity region and a p-type impurity region of the diode to a first conductive film in the protection circuit are distributed over the entire impurity regions. Further, contact holes for connecting the first conductive film and a second conductive film in the protection circuit are dispersively formed over the semiconductor film. By forming the contact holes in this manner wiring resistance between the diode and a terminal can be reduced and the entire semiconductor film of the diode can be effectively serve as a rectifier element.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a functional circuit electrically connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, and

a protection circuit electrically connected to the first terminal and the second terminal,

wherein the protection circuit comprises;

a diode over an insulating surface, the diode comprising a semiconductor film comprising an n-type impurity region and a p-type impurity region;

a first insulating film over the semiconductor film, the first insulating film having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings;

a first conductive film over the first insulating film;

a second conductive film over the first insulating film;

a second insulating film over the first conductive film and the second conductive film, the second insulating film having a plurality of third openings and a plurality of fourth openings;

a third conductive film over the second insulating film; and

a fourth conductive film over the second insulating film,

wherein the n-type impurity region and the first conductive film are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of first openings,

wherein the p-type impurity region and the second conductive film are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of second openings,

wherein the first conductive film and the third conductive film are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of third openings, and

wherein the second conductive film and the fourth conductive film are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of fourth openings.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a high-resistance region is formed between the n-type impurity region and the p-type impurity region so as to be adjacent to the n-type impurity region and the p-type impurity region in the semiconductor film.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first conductive film and the second conductive film comprises a portion used for a wiring or an electrode of the functional circuit.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a glass substrate and a third insulating film formed over the glass substrate, wherein the functional circuit and the protection circuit are formed over the third insulating film.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film is a non-single-crystal semiconductor film.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the functional circuit comprises a transistor comprising a channel formation region comprising a non-single-crystal semiconductor, and

wherein the semiconductor film comprises a non-single-crystal semiconductor.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the functional circuit comprises a photodiode and an amplifier circuit for amplifying output current of the photodiode.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first openings are distributed over an entire region of the n-type impurity region,

wherein the plurality of second openings are distributed over an entire region of the p-type impurity region,

wherein the plurality of third openings are formed over the semiconductor film and are partially formed over the first conductive film, and

wherein the plurality of fourth openings are formed over the semiconductor film and are partially formed over the second conductive film.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a functional circuit electrically connected to the first terminal and the second terminal; and

a protection circuit, the protection circuit comprising;

a diode over a substrate, the diode comprising a semiconductor film having an n-type impurity region and a p-type impurity region;

a first insulating film over the semiconductor film, the first insulating film comprising a first electrical connection portion having a plurality of first openings and a second electrical connection portion having a plurality of second openings;

a first conductive film over the first insulating film, the first conductive film being electrically connected to the n-type impurity region through the plurality of first openings;

a second conductive film over the first insulating film, the second conductive film being electrically connected to the p-type impurity region through the plurality of second openings;

a second insulating film over the first conductive film and the second conductive film, the second insulating film comprising a plurality of third electrical connection portions having a plurality of third openings and a plurality of fourth electrical connection portions having a plurality of fourth openings;

a third conductive film over the second insulating film, the third conductive film being electrically connected to the first conductive film through the plurality of third openings; and

a fourth conductive film over the second insulating film, the fourth conductive film being electrically connected to the second conductive film through the plurality of fourth openings,

wherein the third conductive film is electrically connected to the first terminal and the fourth conductive film is electrically connected to the second terminal,

wherein the plurality of third electrical connection portions are arranged at larger intervals than intervals at which the plurality of third openings in each the plurality of third electrical connection portions are arranged,

wherein the plurality of fourth electrical connection portions are arranged at larger intervals than intervals at which the plurality of fourth openings in each the plurality of fourth electrical connection portions are arranged,

wherein the plurality of third electrical connection portions are overlapped with the first electrical connection portion, and

wherein the plurality of fourth electrical connection portions are overlapped with the second electrical connection portion.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a high-resistance region is formed between the n-type impurity region and the p-type impurity region so as to be adjacent to the n-type impurity region and the p-type impurity region in the semiconductor film.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein each of the first conductive film and the second conductive film comprises a portion used for a wiring or an electrode of the functional circuit.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a third insulating film formed over the substrate, wherein the functional circuit and the protection circuit are formed over the third insulating film.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor film is a non-single-crystal semiconductor film.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the functional circuit comprises a transistor comprising a channel formation region comprising a non-single-crystal semiconductor, and

wherein the semiconductor film comprises a non-single-crystal semiconductor.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the functional circuit comprises a photodiode and an amplifier circuit for amplifying output current of the photodiode.